What Could Have Happened
by NessaRose89
Summary: Connor had a secret. A secret that was slowly killing him. A secret that was getting worse now that Abby and Stephen were finally getting that date. Hell, sometimes he really hated time travel. Oneshot


A/N: For those of you who have a livejournal, my username on there is Sandersonsister. I have more stories posted there... which is where all these are coming from. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Primeval.

Connor stared at Abby, her words sinking into his mind. He felt his heart come to a stop and something lodge in his throat. He swallowed hard, hoping like hell that the water welling in his eyes wasn't noticeable. "Sorry?"

"I couldn't believe it either!" Abby squealed, a bright smile on her face. She must have seen something on Connor's face, because the smile slowly dropped, "Sorry, is this… weird?"

"No!" Connor squeaked, clearing his throat. "No. We decided that you and I… we're friends."

The smile was back instantly and Connor had to turn away as Abby bounced around the flat, talking animatedly. He had known this was going to happen, it wasn't a surprise. He knew there was a possibility that the future could change. Knew that he could lose him forever.

The worst part of the entire thing was that as far as Stephen knew, Connor never had him at all.

None of it would happen for the other man at all. But Connor would always have to remember.

Connor knew he should have gone with Abby to get Stephen from the hospital. Why had he listened to Cutter and stayed at the ARC to work on the ADD? Why had he decided that it would be easier to let Abby go alone? Easier? Right. Now he had to sit and listen to Abby talk about how great Stephen was. And he would have to see both of them at the ARC – well, if Stephen decided to come back to work.

And, for the first time since Lester had offered Stephen his job back, Connor prayed the older man wouldn't take it.

_Five years earlier_

Connor kept his head down, moving through the students quickly. The faster he got to his lecture, the less likely it would be for him to embarrass himself. "Sorry," He muttered, moving around short blond that was talking on her mobile. She shot him an irritated sneer, using her unoccupied hand to brush off the imaginary germs he just gave her.

Connor winced, moving even faster toward the building. It wasn't like she was going to become a nerd just because he bumped into her! It wasn't catching!

"Con!" Connor turned, a smile lighting up his face as he saw Tom making his way toward him. Duncan was a ways behind, panting slightly as he tried to keep up with his friend. "Movie night tonight?"

"Sounds great!" Connor agreed, pulling open the door to the building. "What marathon are we doing tonight?"

"We were thinking Dr. Who," Duncan told him.

Tom rolled his eyes, "No, you were thinking Dr. Who. I was thinking Star Wars."

"We did Star Wars last week!"

"You watch Dr. Who everyday!"

"Those are the new episodes! We could watch the old ones-"

"What about Stargate-"

"Why don't we decide later?" Connor cut in, trying to keep the peace between his two friends. "Let's just get to the lecture-"

"Connor! So glad I found you – I have no idea how I ended up-" Connor stared at the man in front of him, his mouth hanging open. The man was gorgeous. Tall and slim, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and the bluest eyes Connor had ever seen. And he was talking to him. Actually talking. He had even said Connor's name – not that Connor had any idea how he knew his name…

Wait, that was a good point.

"Sorry? Do I know you?"

The man froze, a frown on his handsome face. "Connor? Are you feeling alright?"

"How do you know my name?" Connor asked, taking a step back. Gorgeous or not, something was definitely off here.

The man shook his head in disbelief. "Something is wrong, really wrong. Maybe Cutter was right and one little thing can change-" He broke off, his eyes wide. Connor followed the man's gaze, only to frown himself when he saw what he was staring at.

"Alright, Connor?" Tom asked, clearly uncomfortable with their gazes resting on him.

Connor nodded slowly, his eyes once again falling onto the man. He was running a hand through his hair, his mouth still hanging open. "You guys go on ahead."

"But the lecture-"

"I'm ahead of the Professor anyway," Connor said dismissively, and he swore he heard the man chuckle. "Go on ahead."

Tom and Duncan exchanged a look, then shrugged. "Alright."

Connor watched as his friend disappeared around the corner, then turned to the man, his eyes narrowed. "Alright, who are you?"

"What year is this?"

"Sorry?"

The man's mouth twitched, and Connor decided to ignore the twitching he felt in his pants at the action. Right, not the time. "The year, Connor. What is the year?"

"2004."

The next words that escaped that pretty mouth would have made most older people die in fright.

"Is there something wrong with the year?" Connor asked with a small smile.

"What? No. No. Um, right, so you don't know me then?"

"Should I?"

"Uh… no. Nope, not at all."

Connor rose an eyebrow, slowly shaking his head. "Right. Look mate, do you have somewhere to go or…"

The man let out a condescending chuckle, shaking his head. "No. I shouldn't be here." His eyes widened suddenly, and Connor saw him look around frantically. "I _really_ shouldn't be here."

Connor hesitated, knowing what he was about to do was a bad idea, but also knowing he would do it anyway. "Look, you can come with me to my flat."

The man's eyebrows shot up in shock, "Do you always invite strange men to your flat?"

Connor blushed, shaking his head. "It will give you time to explain how you know me."

The man shook his head instantly, "No, that could cause… something's shouldn't be…" He broke off, looking irritated. "Alright, you know in Doctor Who when the Doctor meets people out of order?" Connor nodded, slightly surprised at the reference, "This is like that. Bad things could happen."

"A paradox."

The man's lips twitched again, but he nodded his head. "Trust you to understand thanks to the Doctor."

Connor smiled brightly, nodding towards the doors. "Offers still open for my couch, mate."

The man nodded slowly, his brow furrowed, "yeah, that would be great actually. Just… I really can't be here. Not now."

Connor nodded, a voice in his heard calling out one word. Spoilers. "Well, I guess you're going to need to find your way back to wherever you came from… by the way, what's your name?"

The man's mouth dropped open once again, and then Connor was rewarded with a deep laugh, "Stephen."

One month. It had been one month since Connor had met Stephen and the man didn't seem to be any closer to leaving. Not that Connor wanted him to.

It had been awkward at first, especially since Stephen was adamant that he couldn't tell Connor anything. Then things began to change. Stephen would tell about his past – clearly nothing that had anything to do with Connor, but little things. Like the fact that he was single where he came from, things about his parents.

In exchange, Stephen learned about Connor's dad and brother. About his obsessions. Connor even told Stephen about his dinosaur database. "That thing is brilliant," Stephen told him later, staring hard at the computer screen, "don't let anyone tell you different. Absolutely brilliant."

Connor blushed brightly, though a please smile broke out on his face. "Thanks! Even Tom and Duncan tend to laugh-"

"It's brilliant," Stephen said bluntly, the frown Connor had become so accustomed to crossing his face, "keep up with it – you never know when it could come in handy."

Connor didn't reply, just stared at the other man with a frown.

"You alright?" Stephen asked one night, looking at Connor in concern as he stormed into the flat.

"Ya, fine," Connor muttered, carefully keeping his face away from the other man. Over the last few months, Stephen had grown to be quite protective and Connor didn't want the other man to get in trouble. And he would.

"Connor?"

"I'm gonna take a shower," Connor said quickly, heading into the other room.

Connor moved quickly – but apparently it wasn't quick enough. Stephen moved in front of the door, making Connor come to an abrupt stop. Connor looked at the floor, trying not to notice just how close Stephen's feet were to his own. He could feel the man's body heat against his own body. Just a little closer and they could…

Connor let out a gasp as Stephen's hand moved to his face, cupping his cheek. Connor lifted his head and watched as those amazing blue eyes narrowed in anger. "What the hell happened to you?"

Connor shrugged, slowly leaning into the touch. "Wrong place, wrong time."

Stephen peered closer at the swollen eye, "Somehow I don't believe you."

"Just leave it." Connor told the other man, aware of the pleading he heard in his own voice.

Stephen clenched his jaw, slowly nodding his head. "Fine. But if it happens again, I want a name."

Connor nodded, staring into Stephens serious face. He watched as those blue eyes flickered down to his lips, and Connor felt them part slowly. Please, please, don't let him be dreaming-

He wasn't. He let out a soft moan when Stephen moved forward, pressing his lips against Connor's softly. Connor moved closer, wanting it to be faster, harder, but Stephen pulled away, his eyes closing tightly. His hand left Connor's cheek, and Connor watched the other man's jaw clench. "Shouldn't have done that," Stephen muttered.

"Stephen-"

"You should put ice on that," Stephen said, his voice cold as he motioned towards Connor's eye. "You don't want it to swell shut."

The awkward silence lasted a week. One entire week of avoiding one another. One week of dreaming and fantasizing about the man camped out on his sofa. One week, and Connor knew soon he was going to crack.

Surprisingly, he didn't crack first. It was almost three o'clock in the morning when Connor felt his bed dip slightly. "Stephen?"

"I can't tell you what happens," Stephen said lowly, his hand coming to rest on Connor's cheek. "I can't stay here. One day, I'm going to be gone. And you're going to see me again and you're going to have to act like nothing ever happened. That you never met me. There is every chance that something could completely change the future and this will never even happen. You'd have to go through all of that alone." There was another pause, and Connor held his breath as Stephen's thumb slowly traced his bottom lip. "When we do meet, I'll be an arse. You'll hate me."

"I wouldn't hate you," Connor protested, trying to ignore the way Stephens thump slipped inside his mouth as he spoke.

"You should," Stephen whispered.

"I-" Connor didn't have another chance to protest. His lips were busy doing something else.

The next month was the best of Connor's life. Stephen was amazing. Just thinking about the man had Connor's heart skip a beat.

He knew he was blowing off Tom and Duncan more and more, but he had plenty of time with them. Stephen was going to leave. It could be tomorrow, it could be a few more months. But sooner or later, whatever he was waiting for would happen, and he would leave. Connor wanted to spend as much time as possible with the other man before that.

That was why Connor had decided tonight was the perfect time to tell Stephen how he felt. He had known it for awhile, but just saying those words terrified him. He didn't want to chance losing what they had now if Stephen didn't feel the same. But he couldn't risk Stephen leaving without knowing.

"Stephen? Where are you?" Connor asked as he walked into the flat. He frowned when he didn't receive a response. "Stephen?"

It was then Connor saw the note and his world crashed down around him.

_Connor,_

_It's time. I'm sorry._

_I love you. _

_Stephen_

**_Present Day_**

"I just don't understand what happened!" Abby told Connor, a frown on her face. "We went to dinner, then – well,"

"I know, the anomaly ruined everything," Connor said lowly, staring out the window as Abby drove them to the ARC.

"It just appeared! Why do they follow us around? And then Stephen and I got separated going after the predator…"

"I know," Connor said flatly, not wanting to have this conversation again. He had already been up all night, reliving memories of his own time with Stephen- time that he was apparently never going to get. His Stephen had told him that he wasn't seeing anyone back home. Connor had always known that if Abby got her date with Stephen, that was it. He would lose.

Connor winced as he felt a little pieces of his heart shatter all over again.

"And where were you?! Cutter said they kept trying to call you and you never answered! And then I came home and you were just sitting there-" She broke off, suddenly looking horrified, "Did something happen?"

"No," Connor said, immediately feeling guilty for worrying the girl that had become his closest friend. "I was just having a bad night."

Abby shot him a worried look but didn't question Connor. The drove in silence the rest of the way.

"Abby, Connor!" Cutter snapped as soon as they walked in. Connor sighed, knowing he was going to hear about the previous night. He lagged slightly behind Abby, only looking up when the woman stopped moving and gasped.

He looked up, only to immediately meet a familiar pair of bright blue eyes. "Stephen!" Abby said brightly, bouncing forward and wrapping her arms around the man. "You decided to come back!"

Stephen smiled tiredly, his eyes flickering over to Connor before landing on the woman. "After last night, how could I not?"

Abby beamed and Cutter was smiling brightly from beside Stephen. Jenny moved up beside Connor, a smile on her bright red lips. "Welcome back."

Stephen gave her a small smile, then turned to Connor. "So?"

Connor rose an eyebrow, "What? Oh, I knew you'd come back."

"Is that so?"

Connor nodded, finding something odd about this conversation. Since when did this Stephen care what he thought anyway?

"Where were you yesterday?" Cutter asked, disapproval clear in his voice as his attention fell on Connor.

"Mobile died. Sorry."

Abby's eyebrows shot up at the lie, but she didn't say anything. "Don't let it happen again," Cutter warned, shaking his head, "we could have used your help. Stephen fell through the anomaly and it closed before he got back through."

Connor tensed, his eyes flickering to the bright blue ones that were staring at him. "Really? How-"

"It opened back up. Was only about ten minutes here. You never did answer how long you were on the other side." Cutter said, frowning as he turned to Stephen, "Or where you went."

"Nowhere interesting," Stephen said softly, his eyes locking onto Connor's. "I was gone about five months. Lived with some bloke I met."

Connor couldn't breath. "Wh-"

He didn't get any farther as he found himself moving forward and crushed against a hard chest. "Sorry. So long for you, so sorry." Stephen muttered, his arms wrapped around Connor tightly.

Connor held him just as tight, burying his face in Stephen's shoulder and trying desperately not to cry.

"What's going on?" Abby asked loudly.

"I don't think they're going to tell us," Jenny said, amused.

Connor ignored them, relishing in the feeling of the hard body pressed against his. He had never thought this would happen again. Never. "I do love you," Stephen whispered, though clearly not low enough. Abby gasped and Connor heard Cutter mutter a startled curse.

"Love you too."

Stephen's arms tightened around him. Connor could have stayed there forever. He didn't want to move.

"Uh- can someone please tell us what the hell is going on?"

Or maybe not.


End file.
